Letter: Don’t subject students to Pearson field tests

It was recently brought to my attention that Amherst Middle School and Smallwood Drive School (among many more in the area) are on a list of schools to be given a New York State field test designed by Pearson to help create future exams. I find this to be a disgusting misuse of valuable classroom time, especially when you consider the six days of testing these students have already endured, along with the months of test prep prior to the exams.

I sent an email to Superintendent Laura Chabe, imploring her to reconsider Amherst’s involvement in this and ask that she put the best interest of the students ahead of assisting this business, which I believe is robbing our children of their education. Chabe has the ability to refuse to allow our district to take part in this and I asked that she exert this right. The State Education Department and Pearson should not be allowed to use our children as guinea pigs without parental consent.